by Leeda Vada
Vesta’s heart ached at the shame and humiliation in her young friend’s voice.
“He refused, insisting that I put on my clothes and return to the house. When I resisted, he put the raincoat over my shoulders while I just stood there, pleading and begging. He just kept talking to me about being his mate, and that I didn’t really understand what that meant. I told him if that were true, then he should tell me what it really meant. Once he realized that I was not going to let it go, he began telling me something about Etrus and my not being old enough to understand what that meant, that I needed to grow up more, to finish school, to travel, to do the kind of things that Tamby and Shani got to do,” she said. “He kept yelling at me, telling me to listen, to focus. I kept telling him that I loved him, that age didn’t matter,” she cried, “that as long as we loved each other, that we could work it out.” She sighed, “But he wouldn’t listen, and I ran out.”
She turned to face Vesta, resignation in her face. “I hate him right now. He threw my love away as if it were garbage. He won’t make love to me, even though he has made it impossible for anyone else to touch me. Vesta, you are mated. If I am Canaan’s mate, how can he have sex with other people, have girlfriends, when I can’t have boyfriends?” she queried. “I’ve read all I can find out about it online, and several of the sources say that mates can only be with each other. If that’s true, how can Canaan be with someone else? They also say that during Etrus, the two Canid involved must be with each other, yet Canaan can choose not to be with me,” Calli lamented, her frustration reflected in her rapid pacing across the room.
Still in shock, Vesta didn’t know what to say. How could all this have been going on right under their noses? All their children had been watched 24/7 by Warriors, bodyguards, babysitters, or their parents.
Especially Canaan. As Apollo’s heir apparent and one of the rare Canid of their species carrying nascent lupine blood, his welfare was the number one priority of the pack.
Calli’s surveillance was almost as comprehensive. Odin, her father, was head of military forces for the North American Canid nations. Add to that the fact that Calli and her brothers were the first shifters in their clan, and their safety was nearly as paramount as Canaan’s.
With so many people watching them both, how could their attraction to each other have gone unnoticed? True, she thought, they all knew from the day of the triplets’ birth that Canaan was very protective of them. This protectiveness continued as the triplets grew into adolescence. Everyone in Bakari knew that no one was to bother them, especially Calli.
Could it be true that she was Canaan’s mate? Obviously, Calli believed she was, and so, it seemed, did Canaan, for she detected no hint of dishonesty in Calli’s story.
Vesta treasured the special relationship she had with Calli, and she would not do anything to betray the faith the young woman had in her. But how could Vesta advise her?
And who could she talk to about this without betraying that trust?
Calli stood and Vesta followed suit.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, Aunt Vesta,” Calli assured her, though not very convincingly. “I just had to get out of the house. I did not want Mom and Dad to hear me crying. I am going to go. I think I can sleep now. Thank you so much for listening. I’m sorry I put you in this position. I know Canaan is your nephew, and you love him very much, but I didn’t know who else to go to who would understand. I don’t want anyone to think badly of Canaan. None of this is his fault, and he can’t help it if he doesn’t feel the way I do,” Calli said in resignation. “Maybe I am too young to know what real love is. Maybe what I’m experiencing is some teenage crush. I guess that is possible. All I do know is that whatever I am feeling hurts like hell, and the pain is not getting any better.”
Vesta clasped Calli’s shoulders and pulled her into her arms for a quick, tight hug. “I think getting a good night’s sleep is a very good idea,” she said, brushing her forehead with a light kiss.
“I can’t stay here, Aunt Vesta,” Calli sighed. “I need to get far away from everyone for a while. Maybe go back to school or apply for an internship somewhere out West. The only problem with that plan is that it is in the middle of the term, and, of course, I can’t complete any application process in a week,” she said with frustration in her voice.
“Listen, Calli. You don’t have to decide tonight or tomorrow. Let’s both sleep on things, and in the morning, we’ll put our heads together and come up with something.” Staring into Calli’s eyes she said, “You’re not alone. You will never be alone, Calli.”
After giving her a quick hug, Calli retreated through the patio door, walking briskly in the direction of her home.
#
As she slid under the comforter, settling in next to Erol, Vesta wasn’t surprised when she heard, “Well, fuck. We were afraid of this.”
“What?” Vesta responded. “What do you mean ‘we’?”
“Duncan, Apollo, and I,” he replied. “We have suspected it for a while. When Canaan entered puberty, Dr. Malachi noted that he displayed early signs of feral behavior. They soon disappeared, so we put them down as part of the body’s hormones adjusting to adolescent hybrid changes. Obviously, we were wrong. It was not an aberration. Canaan’s beast was sensing its mate.” He slammed the covers with his fist, “Shit!”
“You were listening,” Vesta reprimanded him.
“Of course.”
His mate was not pleased.
“Erol, Calli spoke to me in confidence,” Vesta slammed her fist into his chest. “Under no circumstances are you to share anything she told me.”
Erol did not respond.
“Do you hear me?”
“This explains so much,” Erol continued, as if she had not spoken. “The prolonged absences away from Bakari. His volunteering for all those off-site missions. His choosing to continue his training at our furthest outposts.”
“Why didn’t he talk to someone?” Vesta asked. “You? Duncan? Apollo? Even Odin? Anyone of you could have helped him?”
“God, Vesta, how could he turn to the father of the child he was lusting after or to the very men who thought of him as the perfect son? How could he share his misgivings with them?” Erol countered. “He must have been terrified of the feelings he was experiencing. No wonder he was so close to turning feral.”
“Oh, Erol!” Vesta cried.
“Hold on, sweetheart,” he instructed, kissing her forehead. “I think he did get help. Remember, it was around the time Canaan turned fifteen that he formed his early Mestizo team, family and friends of his generation he knew he could trust,” Erol recalled. “And Canaan was also smart enough to know that he would need medical help. He must have gotten Dr. Arjani involved, which would explain why the feral symptoms lessened. Canaan knew she would not betray him to anyone, not even his parents. As I think back, I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen Canaan laugh or look relaxed even,” Erol said, pulling Vesta more tightly into his arms. “We have to help.”
“Not ‘we,’ Erol,” Vesta admonished him, turning to face him. “Calli came to me, not to us. I will not betray her confidence, and I will not allow you to do it, either.”
“Okay, okay,” he assured her. “We’ll both sleep on it and see what we can come up with tomorrow,” he said, giving Vesta a very loud smack on the lips, as he slid his hand between her legs and his fingers under the edge of her panties.
“You know my favorite way of thinking.”
Chapter Nine
Dakota did a double take. His eyes must have been deceiving him. The black-haired raven on Xavier Mohegan’s arm looked a lot like Calli. But what would Calli be doing anywhere near their undercover sting to uncloak Xavier’s involvement in the betrayal of the Canid? They were nearing the final stage of the operation, so all team members were on high alert.
Still, the young girl looked a lot like Calli. Dakota and the other members of Canaan’s team knew that the Powhatan Council believed Calli
to be Canaan’s mate. No one on the team ever talked about it—even among themselves—it was one of those secrets that no one discussed.
It was also clear that young Calli either was not aware of said destiny or paid it no mind. Still, the Council saw to it that she was raised with her future role in mind, and a rearing Calli bucked at every turn.
Calli’s dream was to be a Canid Warrior, like her role model, Canaan’s sister, Tamby. She had no desire to be a housewife or brooding mare for a male, not even for one like Canaan Powhatan.
For the Lakota males, Rand and Nathan, that sensuality was not a problem. Society expected young Canid males to explore their sexuality—in fact, it was a rite of passage, not only sanctioned, but admired as evidence of a male’s virility—and was seen as their ability to guarantee the survival of their race.
But for a female, especially one destined to be their future Lupa, it was a whole different story, at least publicly. As soon as young girls reached puberty, they were schooled in the art of self-satisfaction. Lessons in masturbation were taught in health classes from the age of eleven.
Protecting Calli’s innocence until she was old enough for Canaan to claim her was proving to be a challenging task indeed.
Calli had fought their efforts at every turn. Trained alongside her brothers as Enforcers, she fought every attempt to restrict her in her role as a fighter, chomping at the bit every time her brothers and the other Warriors went out on a mission without her. With her father as the head of the unit, she did not have much choice in the matter.
Odin did allow her to do security gigs for visiting dignitaries as long as these jobs were within the relatively safe environment of Bakari, their home base, but these crumbs nowhere near satisfied her. She wanted real action, and a stint with the Smoke Team offered her that opportunity.
Vesta and Akira, Commander Duncan Montauk’s Flames, had formed the legendary all-female undercover team. The Smoke Team was the female equivalent of Duncan’s Stealth Team. Their charge was to secure and maintain the viability of all Canid interests worldwide.
Though trained in all the usual weapons of espionage—fluency in several languages, expertise in the use of technological and physical equipment, and command of all types of hand-to-hand combat—their uniqueness was in their mastery of that special something, the feminine mystique unique only to their sex. They had honed sensuality and eroticism into a weapon that brought their targets to their knees.
Since their marriages, Vesta and Akira were no longer active members of the team. The Flames were now led by two human females, co-captains Zuri White and Dyani Gray. Zuri had beaten out all the Smoke team applicants from all the Canid packs in the Southeastern Conference, scoring above the highest level in Warrior training. Dyani was one point behind her.
The Smoke team specialized in training human females. Canid females were rare, and there were situations, especially undercover assignments, where the team needed a human woman. In addition, any human female who mated with a Canid had to undergo mandatory defense training to help with safeguarding their future children.
Laura, Odin’s non-Canid mate and Calli’s mother, had found that her training with the first Smoke team had been a big factor in her feeling like a valued member in the community of the much-enhanced Canid.
She had learned to compensate for what she lacked in animal physical characteristics by using the skills taught to her when she was growing up on the Scythian coast of Asia Minor, both in hand-to-hand combat and in intellectual challenges. Laura was a strong-willed, aggressive female, and she had instilled these traits in her daughter.
After a petition from Vesta, with Laura’s backing, when she was eighteen, the Canid Assembly had agreed to Calli’s apprenticeship with the Smoke Team in the wilds of Arizona. The only stipulation was that she not be sent on any life-threatening missions. They had the authority to impose that condition because Calli was still under twenty-one, the age when females were permitted to be part of all missions.
#
As soon as Zuri entered the room, Dakota had recognized her despite her disguise. Calli and Amaka, a Smoke lieutenant, were already inside, with two other new recruits Dakota did not recognize.
He watched as they sidled up to Xavier’s entourage of bodyguards and lieutenants. Xavier slid his arm around young Calli’s waist and drew her against his shoulder, staking a claim and making it clear that she was not available as part of the party.
“I know your other lovelies, Zuri, but the name of this one alludes me.” He directed his question to Zuri but looked into the eyes of the young girl on his arm.
“This is Calli, my newest recruit. You must have heard of her. Her father’s Odin,” Zuri volunteered casually. “She’s in training with us and is here tonight as an observer, so let your boys know, hands off,” she warned, sending a quick encompassing glance around the room.
“Odin’s daughter?” the amazement in Xavier’s voice was obvious. “I’m shocked he let her off the ranch. How did you pull that off?”
“Actually, it was Calli’s idea. She wanted to enhance her defense strategies with exposure to master trainers outside the Canid community.”
“I can see that.” Xavier had never taken his eyes off Calli. “May I offer my services, Ms. Lakota?” he asked, offering her his hand. “I’m sure I can teach you some things that the Canid in Bakari did not.”
Call ignored his open palm. “No, thank you, Lord Xavier,” she responded, sarcasm in her voice, a teasing glint in her eyes. “My training with Zuri is proving more than satisfactory. But I thank you for the offer.”
Zuri shepherded her to the next table, then onto several others as they continued to work the room. They stopped frequently to exchange pleasantries with those assembled for the annual Harvest Festival that signaled the end of another dry, dusty Arizona summer.
Calli could feel Xavier’s eyes on her throughout the night. His attention made her feel powerful, in control.
The billionaire industrialist was reputed to be one of the biggest crime bosses in North America, with ties to organized crime on all seven continents. Helping to take him down would be a big feather in her cap, a cap with nary an accoutrement at present, unlike the accolades and awards that her brothers had accumulated as they rose in the ranks of the Warrior forces, even though they weren’t “official Warriors” yet, because, of course, they weren’t twenty-one either. But as Odin’s male offspring, the Council made exceptions for them.
Calli had planned for three years for this night. Biding her time until she reached twenty-one, she was looking forward to taking her place as an asset in the fight to preserve the safety and lives of the members of the Canid community.
Of course, she knew about the expectation that she would accept Canaan as her mate, but she was having no part of it. Destined? She would forge her own destiny. Canaan had rejected her one too many times. There would be no do-overs.
It wasn’t that she was not attracted to Canaan. Hell, she wet her panties every time she thought about him. A Greek god walking, Canaan had been her fantasy lover ever since she could remember. But she did not plan to be a brood mare for anyone, the next Alpha or not. She wanted more for her future.
Medicine was her second love, and her apprenticeship with Dr. Arjani, the foremost authority on genetic research, was one of the fondest memories of her young life. She wanted to specialize in pediatrics and become an authority in the treatment of the hybrids that resulted from the mating of Canid and non-Canid. She and her brothers were such hybrids. Because there were so few hybrids in the Canid community, there was not much known about their development. She wanted to help lead the way into that unexplored part of their future.
Still, she wanted her share of adventure too, and realized that this assignment might be her only chance. Her father and his first team were in Libya, securing the safety of several pack leaders as they negotiated the rights of Were descendants in the volatile Arab world.
Even if someone notified Odin
of her part in this assignment, everything would be over before he could stop her. Even if Dakota called them tonight, and she was sure he would if he had not already done so, no one would be able to intervene in time.
Calli had passed the Enforcer test two years ago, and that—plus having reached her nineteenth birthday—prevented Dakota from removing her from the action, as long as she was not sent into a designated war zone. This part of Canid law was sacrosanct, no Canid female could risk her life in battle. They were too important for the survival of their species. And no one could violate it unless by a special intervention from the twelve-member Canid Assembly. Calli knew that could not happen unless all the members were physically present at Bakari.
Zuri and her team were using Calli as bait to draw out Xavier, waving an irresistible carrot in his face, counting on Calli’s sensuality and her reputed shifting status to make him make the mistake of trying to possess her by force.
“Hawk” Chayton, leader of Duncan’s Black Stealth team, had approved the operation and had entrusted them with Calli’s protection. Tonight’s event was the tease. Now they were waiting for Xavier to take the bait.
Ignoring the insistent beeps in her ear, knowing it was either Odin or Canaan, Zuri was not about to ruin the first chance they had in over ten years to take down Xavier Mohegan and identify his cohorts.
She would apologize after she got back. She respected the men who oversaw the Canid world. Hell, she was best friends with most of them, but their attitude toward Calli was unfair.
They underestimated the strength and savvy of the young woman, finding it almost impossible to separate their roles as family from their mandate “to pursue any means necessary” to preserve and advance the interests of all Were-descended communities. Tonight was part of the enforcement of that mandate.
#
